Ask kids what they’re doing for Halloween and you’re likely to hear all about the costumes they’re planning to wear, the friends they’ll be trick-or-treating with, and the candy they will eat. And eat. And eat. Stop right there, please. A fun evening can quickly become a spooky nightmare if the candy gets out of hand. With this in mind, children’s dentistDr. Ryan Thomas of Highland Village Family Dentistry in Highland Village, TX, offers the following tips for making sure your children’s teeth stay boootiful and healthy this Halloween.

Make sure your children’s dental check-ups are up-to-date. Like you, they should see Dr. Thomas once every six months for a professional cleaning and exam. And children’s teeth can be helped by fluoride treatments and sealants, in particular. Sealants are plastic coatings that are “painted” on molars to protect them from bacteria that causes tooth decay.

Make a candy eating schedule and stick to it! If possible, don’t let the kids eat candy for snacks. Save the candy for mealtime when other foods are eaten, too. Plaque loves the acid that sweet treats produce. But when we eat other foods, the additional saliva in the mouth breaks down the sugars more rapidly, thus decreasing the amount of acid produced.

When you check the kids’ candy, set aside the pieces that seem too hard or too chewy for little teeth. And if those teeth have braces, then it’s all the more important to make sure the candy they eat won’t damage their braces or their teeth.

Chewing sugar-free gum can be a great alternative if your children can’t brush their teeth right after eating candy. Like food, sugar-free gum increases the production of saliva. Even better, sugar-free gum with xylitol has been shown to reduce tooth decay.

This may go without saying, but make sure your children brush and floss after they eat their Halloween candy. Following up with a fluoride rinse made especially for children may offer an added dose of protection against cavities.

Call Our Office Today

Dr. Ryan Thomas and the team at Highland Village Family Dentistry want to help you and your family have a happy Halloween. So, schedule an appointment today and make sure everyone’s teeth are strong and healthy. We conveniently serve patients in Highland Village, TX, as well as the surrounding cities of Flower Mound, Carrollton, Plano, Frisco, The Colony and all of the DFW Metroplex.